


The Other is Gold

by crushondeanlikeafairy



Category: S.W.A.T. (TV 2017)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, Gen, Mommy Issues, Past Child Abuse, Post-Episode: s02e04, Team Bonding, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 19:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16394087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crushondeanlikeafairy/pseuds/crushondeanlikeafairy
Summary: Street really needs a friend after he had to walk out on his mom. Fortunately, he gets three for the price of one.





	The Other is Gold

**Author's Note:**

> You guys, I just really love Jim Street. And I just reaaaaaally hate his mother. :)

Street had been sitting outside his apartment building, shivering. He had forgotten to grab a jacket when he'd stormed out and he couldn't bring himself to go back inside to grab one. It wouldn't matter very long anyway. He'd asked Chris to come and pick him up since his bike was still in the shop. Street felt bad that he kept inconveniencing her, but she was really the only person he could call and he needed somebody to talk to.

Separating himself from his mom... He knew it was for the best, for both of them probably, but that didn't stop it from hurting.

Chris' black pickup pulled up alongside the curb and after she waved at him through the window, he opened the passenger side door and hopped in. They drove in silence until they ended up at the abandoned lot that the team like to gather in to blow off some steam after work. 

"You gonna tell me what happened?" she prompted, shifting the gear into park.

Street sighed, crossing his arms defensively over his chest, "I told my mom that I can't be around her anymore."

"Ouch," she responded after a moment, "That had to be hard."

He simply nodded, looking out the window at the wrecked and abandoned cars littering the space. A car pulled up a few feet from the truck, and he squinted to identify the two figures that exited the vehicle. Chris got out to greet them, so he followed suit. Once outside, he realized it was Luca and Tan.

"What are they doing here?" Street called accusingly to Chris.

"They were with me when you called," she shrugged, "They were worried."

"A 'hello' would be nice," Tan said, giving Chris a quick hug before moving toward Street.

"So?" Luca asked, heading in the pair's direction, followed by Chris. They stopped once the small group was standing in a small circle.

"Street ditched his mom," Chris answered in summary, earning her a glare from the man in question.

"About damn time, man," Luca shouted, clapping his former teammate on the shoulder.

"What he means is that it's probably for the best," Tan covered, taking in the sour expression on Street's face.

Jimmy sighed, scuffing his boots in the dirt, "I know it is."

"Do you want to talk about?" Chris prompted.

He did. He really did. Street wasn't used to having somebody to open up to, always having to keep everything inside while he was growing up. But he wasn't sure he was comfortable pouring out his heart and soul to Luca and Tan. Chris was the only one who had stuck by him after he'd been kicked off the team. The only one who gave him more than an awkward glance when they saw each other in the hallway or on the street. But then, he thought, if they didn't care, they wouldn't be here.  _They were worried_ , Chris' words echoed in his head.

"Hold on, I think I have a spare jacket in the car," Tan interrupted Street's thoughts, "You look like you're about to freeze to death."

Street put on the jacket that was offered to him, relishing in the relief it brought from the October winds. It wasn't actually that cold, just enough that it made a guy miserable to have to stand in it in only a t-shirt. Chris opened the bed of her truck, sitting down on it and patting the space beside her for Street to do the same. Tan and Luca sat on the trunk of a beat-up clunker than Chris had parked beside.

"My mom is doing drugs," he began after a long silence, "I found them in my apartment, while her parole officer was doing an inspection."

"Geez," Luca muttered under his breath.

"I confronted her about it... and she lied right to my face. She didn't even hesitate. It just made me wonder what else she could've lied about," Street put his head down to run his fingers through his hair, before looking back up at his friends, "She didn't even care that she could've gotten me fired. It just made me realize that you guys were right this whole time. I shouldn't have trusted her."

"Well..." Luca said, trying to lighten the mood, "Better late than never."

Chris shot Luca a look before resting her hand on Street's shoulder, "I'm sorry you had to find out the hard way."

Street nodded, "I told her I'm done feeling guilty, but... I still do. I still feel like it's my fault that she went to prison. I still feel like I have to make it up to her somehow."

"How would it be your fault? She's the one who committed murder," Tan asked.

When Street was silent, Chris took it upon herself to answer for him, "His mom made him help her, then told him to lie about what happened. Only he couldn't lie."

"That bitch!" Luca exclaimed, holding up his hands in surrender when Street glared at him, "I'm sorry, man, but she is. What kind of a person does that to their kid?"

"This is the part I need you to understand, Street," Chris said, waiting until he looked up at her, "When you confronted her about the drugs, what did she say? Did she bring up the fact that she was in prison because she was protecting you?"

Jimmy nodded.

"Whenever you confront her about any shady thing that she has done, does she say that she was locked up because of you? Whenever she tries to get you to do something for her that you think is wrong, does she bring that up?"

"Yea," Street answered quietly.

"She is manipulating you. She knows that you feel guilty about her ending up in prison. And instead of telling that it isn't your fault like any half-way decent mother would, she exploits it and uses it against you. Your mother is not a good person, Street. I need you to see that."

He was quiet for a long time, thinking over Chris' words. When he thought back on everything, he realized that she was right. It hurt, though, to realize it.

"I know," he agreed solemnly, dropping his head into his hands, "I've been so stupid."

"Hey, no," Tan spoke up, "Just because your mom is a piece of work, does not reflect poorly on you."

"You've definitely made mistakes. And your mother definitely helped you make them," Luca added, "But the cool thing about this is that you can learn from it moving forward. You know that she isn't good for you, and you can start over again without her."

"We all know it'll be hard, Street," Chris said, "But we all want you back on S.W.A.T. and this is the first step to getting there."

"Thanks, guys," Jimmy said, looking at each one of them, "I'm not usually good at this whole opening up thing."

Luca laughed, "Oh, believe me, we know. Now, I say we celebrate Street's new lease on life. I know this great bar right down the block."

"Don't we all have to be at work in the morning?" Street asked.

"Oh don't go growing up on me already. You can stay a kid just one more night."

Street laughed, "Alright, fine. One drink."

"That's my boy!" Luca shouted, practically dragging Tan back to their car, "Chris, I'll text you the address."

Chris and Street sat on the tailgate a minute longer, laughing at their teammate's antics and then lapsing into a companionable silence.

"I know we didn't fix everything, but do you feel better?"

Street thought for a moment, "Yea, this helped. Thank you for coming to get me."

"Always, partner," Chris answered, punching him in the shoulder, "Now up, we gotta get to the bar before Luca drinks the whole place."

Street hopped off the tailgate, letting her lift it up until it latched. They both got back into the black pickup and left as they had come, only Street's shoulder felt a little bit lighter.


End file.
